Never Again
by Entangled Fate
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha gets sent back in time to change the events that loom over team sevens future. Surprisingly enough, he wanted to change more than what was planned which made their new future unsure.ᴛɪᴍᴇ-ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ ꜱᴇᴍɪ-ᴍᴜᴛʟɪꜱᴀᴋᴜ
1. Chapter 1

"I'm counting on you..." Naruto shouted as Sasuke walked without hesitation through the barrier towards the spatial twist that he summoned. The closer he got the more it pulled his entire being in and within seconds, he disappeared.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Naruto struggled to control the enormous amount of chakra that was being released through his palm. He was kneeling on the floor, his palm still flat against it, visible chakra tendrils snaking through the elaborate seals that covered almost every inch of the room. It had been specially fortified for their experiments.

He could feel the seal drawing in more and more of his chakra as it sought to possess enough power to send its delivery to the time and space specified. With a low grunt, Naruto could feel his fifth tail snapped out of the base of his spine and whipped about in agony. Dust fluttered as the room tried to contain the pressure of the chakra build up. Finally, the glow of the seal lit up with a sudden flare of white that blinded Naruto. The suction of power was cut off abruptly.

Sitting back, Naruto waited for his chakra coil to find its balance again. He guessed that before long he would know which of the following theory was right. Would time travel create an alternate timeline or would it realign the existing one with the new one that Sasuke would do his best to create? He prayed for the latter even though he knew it would destroy all his memories of the past. But then, not much of the past was worth remembering and the current reality was not one in which he wanted to live in.

He would have no regrets about forgetting how it felt to have to kill Gaara, to hold Sakura as the curse seal receded from her body, leaving her a painful, gasping wreck. He had no wish to forever hold in his mind the sight of Kakashi's body with his Sharingan torn out. No wish to see Ino's torn, abused corpse found in the Akatsuki's dungeons. No wish to see Jiraiya in Tsunade's arms, colorless as his hair. Too dead to take advantage of his close proximity to his teammate. Naruto almost chuckled at that thought.

His chakra level having settled down, Naruto dragged himself out of the basement. He headed for the only other room in the hideaway in which he and Sasuke spent the most time and effort on. Pushing the door open, he walked towards the bed and sat down on the old, creaky chair beside it. He picked up the soft, lifeless hand and held it gently. Her face and hands were swollen slightly with water retention. She had been lying there for a long time.

A well of regrets rose.

"Sakura-chan, I've succeeded in sending Sasuke back but I have no idea if it will change anything for us. If it didn't, well, at least somewhere in another dimension, we have a chance to be happy together." He fell into silence as he gazed at her. The shadows in the room deepened as the sunset.

"Sakura-chan, I don't want to live like this anymore." He wanted to say more, but he could not, not even to this lifeless visage of the girl he loved. If the world for him remained the same tomorrow, he would head for the Akatsuki's lair with Sakura and detonate himself there. At least they would die together.

::

Sasuke's eye flew open at the feeling of cool air hitting his face. Years of training and experience on the field has instilled in his ability to snap from sleep to wakefulness instantly. Immediately, he recognized his room from his adolescent years, he reached for the clock by his bed. The electronic clock displayed the time to be five twenty-eight in the morning.

He slowly pulled the covers off his body and walked to his closet to pick out his usual attire when he was this age. In his mind, he paged through the various plans that Naruto and he had concocted together to change the past. A small smile was shown on his lips, he had to admit it, he could hardly contain the happiness that threatened to manifest in a series of 'thank you kami'. He had already forgotten the excruciating pain he had been through, having his physical body burnt away in the spatial twist, in order to let his consciousness gravitate to the Sasuke who lived fifteen years ago.

Dressing, he couldn't help but ponder the future events. War changed people. Naruto had become a cynic. Well, a dark comical cynic. Sasuke would probably remember the days even after he fixed everything but it was his motivation to never have a future like that. Team seven deserved more than a cruel deathly fate that was written out for them.

Steadily down the steps, Sasuke made it out of the apartment building to turn a corner into the village streets. The morning sun began to appear and little by little other people started to join him in the streets. He took the time to look around to actually see the people around him. As he recalled he had never taken the time to get to know anyone around him. For example, he didn't know there was a dango shop right next to his apartment or the fact that Lee and Gai were seen doing their daily workout session through the village.

What to change? Sasuke mused to himself as he walked towards the meeting spot of team seven. It would have been better if he could return earlier. There would be more time to make a connection with Naruto and change the general perception of himself as a selfish human being he was. Even making time to share with the women he loved, Sakura.

However, the further back he traveled, the accuracy of when he will arrive will be compromised. They both agreed that the day they were put into their genin team would be early enough for him to start changing events. But a sudden shift in his attitude may incur suspicions in his fellow peers and teachers. Deep in thought, he hardly noticed when Sakura joined him.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura tilted her head so slightly as she smiled at him.

Sasuke breathing hitched in an instant at the sound of her voice.


	2. Chapter 2

Side glancing, Sasuke saw a vivid and beautiful girl. Someone he hadn't seen like that in a long time. The soft scent of cherry's filled his nostrils while the sight of her was glowing in the morning light. He swallowed the lump in his throat before grabbing his own left arm for self-control. He wanted to touch her cheek, just to feel the reality on his fingertips. Though if he did stuff like that, he would be questioned by everyone.

He had to be strong. He opened his mouth to make the usual response but Naruto began running their direction. It caused Sakura to turn her attention to him.

"Morning Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted. He was too busy waving with his eyes closed that he didn't see a hole in the ground and tripped. He began rolling his way to their feet with a skidded stopping him at the end. He groaned in pain as had propped himself up to sit crisscross on the ground.

"Naruto, you idiot. Are you okay?" Sakura questioned him as she proceeded to smack him on top his head. "You need to be more careful. You could have collided with Sasuke-kun!"

"Ah, the bastard probably deserve it anyway." Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke before being smack again for his profanity. Sakura left him up by the collar of his shirt and began to shake Naruto in anger. Still, he just grinned the entire time.

Throughout the interaction between the two, Sasuke tried his best not show a fond smile appear on his face. He never knew he would have missed moments like these.

"Hn. We are going to be late." Sasuke watched as Sakura eyes turned to bugged eye at his comment. She stopped lecturing Naruto and grabbed onto his hand before reaching for Sasuke's.

Usually, the past Sasuke would have fought a little when it came to Sakura dragging him places but he couldn't help but embrace the feeling. He tightened his hold on the pinkette's hand. Thankfully it went unnoticed by Sakura as she was too focused on not being tardier than their own teacher. On the other hand, Naruto bluntly gave him the stink eye for he saw exactly what had happened.

When they had arrived at the meeting point, a lean form appeared with his signature anti-gravity silver hair. His uncovered eye wandered over the three of them as he drawled out a response.

"Looks like my little students had arrived just before I did." Just like always, he smiled with his eyes. "Try not making that a habit." He closed his book and placed it back in his weapon pouch.

"Says the one that is constantly late." Sakura crossed her arm just as she turned away to whisper it to Naruto but he was to business giving Sasuke the stink eye to even respond to her.

"What was that Sakura-chan?" Kakashi questioned her nonchalantly. Sakura jumped slightly before turning back to him with a nervous smile of her own.

"Eh. . . what are we doing today?" She laughed timidly as she watched Kakashi eye her for what felt like forever.

"Glad you ask! Since there are no missions today, we will be sparring in pairs that I pick." Kakashi proceeded to point towards both Naruto and Sasuke. "You two will go first then it will be Sakura-chan and me."

"I'm going to kick your ass, Sasuke!" Naruto proclaimed as he popped his knuckles. He began to walk the direction of the field with Sasuke falling behind him.

"In your dreams, you idiot." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sakura went to follow but Kakashi called to put her name.

"Sakura, here take this and go buy some water for yourself and us." He hands her some money but Sakura just looked at it and back at him.

"But Kakashi-sensei, I wanna see Sasuke fight." She whined as she gave Kakashi the traditional puppy dog eyes.

"Ah, but don't you want to give it to Sasuke personally. I bet he will be so grateful of your kindness." She thought to herself momentarily before skipping her way into the market. Kakashi eyed her before sighing. He could feel the tension between his two male students.

"What the hell was that!?" Naruto pointed at Sasuke like he was some alien but Sasuke understood why Naruto would act like that.

"What are you talking about." An even look was presented on his face even though he did know what he was talking about.

Naruto felt like he was about to go apeshit on Sasuke. "I saw the way you were holding Sakura's hand! I thought you hated her!"

"I never said that." Which was true. He never said he hated Sakura. Just that she was annoying because of the feelings she had for him but as he grew older. He understood those feelings greatly and all he wanted to do was return them. "What if I was? You can't do anything about it. She likes me always."

"Oh yeah!? She ends up loving me after she realizes what an asshole you are!" Naruto glared at him. Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked at him. He knew this wasn't the main reason he went to the past. He still had things to fix but he had time and right now, he wanted to use it on someone he loved and someone he adored as a friend.

"Fine. Let's see who wins her heart." Sasuke got into a fighting stance while Naruto began to charge his way. He had immediately blocked an incoming punch from Naruto and kicked him in the side. Naruto skidded before coming to a halt, he then again went for a punch.

Kakashi looked up from his book to watched the two from afar and just shook his head. He didn't really know what was going on but the Sasuke in front of him was different. He just hoped it that it wasn't for anything bad. He wouldn't want to deal with that.


End file.
